THE NATIONAL Basketball League (NBL) is known to have an incredible pool of talented players, and this year is no different, with multiple players battling it out in MVP contention. While some are ahead of the others in the race for the trophy, recognition for each contender’s individual season must be given, as the superstars battled it out every game, putting their best performances in night by night.

With 11 players being in the MVP race, we will go over a brief overlook on their individual seasons. The first three players are the official top three in the MVP race, and the next eight will be in no selective order.

1. Kendric Davis – Sydney Kings
The current frontrunner for the award, Davis, was the runner-up in NBL25 for the trophy, losing just to Bryce Cotton, who won his fifth MVP. While Sydney started off the season a bit bumpy, Davis was able to flip things around for them, becoming an unstoppable force and leading the team to pure dominance, now standing as the first-place team on the table.

With averages of 24.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds, the way Sydney has been playing has been a reflection of how good Davis is as a player, being the offensive initiator. His best performance of the season came against the Tasmania JackJumpers on January 22. He put up a monster display of 40 points along with 8 assists. As it stands, Davis looks to be the NBL26 MVP.

2. Bryce Cotton – Adelaide 36ers
Undisputedly one of the greatest NBL players of all time, it is rare to see Bryce Cotton not at first place in the MVP race, but here he is. Since 2019, the Adelaide 36ers have only made the finals once, but now with Cotton, they look to be arguably the best team in the entire league.

That shows the impact that Bryce Cotton has as a player and how he can change a franchise from strugglers to contenders. With averages of 25.7 points and 7.6 assists, he leads the league in both statistics and has erupted for multiple 40+ point games throughout the season, most notably his 53-point eruption against the Cairns Taipans on October 18th.

3. Nathan Sobey – SEM Phoenix
While sometimes experiencing some efficiency issues, there is no question that the 35-year-old Sobey is arguably at the peak of his powers throughout his career, being the main scoring option for the third-placed SEM Phoenix. While being a dominant scorer, he has also shown his ability to pass and get shots for his teammates, having eight games with over seven assists, including a 31-point, 10-assist double-double against the Cairns Taipans. Currently the fourth leading scorer in the league, he is averaging 22.0 ppg along with 4.7 apg.

4. Jack McVeigh – Cairns Taipans
While Cairns has faced lots of trouble this year, finishing in 9th place, one of the only bright spots was McVeigh, who, in countless moments, looked to be the only hope for the struggling Taipans. In a new role, he was put into a position where he was the main offensive weapon, and while there were times when he might not have been able to get over the mark, when he did, it would be in a near-dominant fashion.

With two 40+ point games in the season, he has averaged 21.2 points, 4.0 assists and 6.3 rebounds. Even though Cairns has had a near-disastrous season, if moves are made during the offseason, one thing will be for sure – McVeigh will be staying on board for the Taipans.

5. JaVale McGee – Illawarra Hawks
The star recruit was brought into an Illawarra Hawks team who were fresh off winning an NBL championship, but with start-of-season injuries to Sam Froling and William Hickey, they struggled to start off McGee was there to lead the way. Coming off a 16-year NBA career where he won three NBA championships with both the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, he felt it was time for him to go overseas to embrace a bigger offensive role. The 38-year-old has arguably been the most dominant force since his arrival, putting up multiple huge stat lines against some of the best teams in the league.

At the start of the season, he made a true case for the MVP trophy, but as the season went on, his stock has dropped game by game. Even though the MVP trophy might not be in McGee’s hands this season, his impact on the league this year has been shown, and he has proved himself to be one of the best in the league. Averaging a double-double with 19.3 points and 10.0 boards, his best performance came against Melbourne United, where he purely dominated with 37 points and 14 rebounds.

6. Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers
Jackson-Cartwright has quietly been one of the best point guards in the league, being the offensive initiator for the Breakers, who admittedly have had a rocky season. Averaging 17.7 points and 7.5 assists, he is the Breakers’ X-factor, and along with Sam Mennenga, they have both been one of the best star duos in the competition. Jackson-Cartwright’s best season performance was on the 8th of October, when he put up an offensive masterpiece with 20 points and 17 assists, with just one turnover.

7. Bryce Hamilton – Tasmania JackJumpers
In his first NBL season, Hamilton led the JackJumpers to a finals spot, being their go-to guy. While he is out for this season’s finals due to a devastating torn ACL, the team now has a main superstar whom they can build around to eventually be able to become a championship contender. Hamilton started his rookie campaign in true MVP-type form, but he then faced some inconsistencies as the season went on, which caused him to drop further down in the MVP race.

His best performance came against the SEM Phoenix, where he had a 36-point outing. He finished off his campaign averaging 18.2 points, but at just 25 years old, he has shown that he can be a player that the team can build around to eventually get to the promised land.

8. Kristian Doolittle – Perth Wildcats
Doolittle has maintained strong play throughout his three-year NBL career with the Perth Wildcats, as a high-IQ, versatile forward who can really do it all. While he averages 17.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game, his impact goes further than stats, both offensively and defensively. Doolittle’s best performance of the season would be his 32-point, seven-rebound and four-assist game against the Cairns Taipans.

9. Xavier Cooks – Sydney Kings
Former NBL MVP Cooks has always been an incredibly crucial piece of Sydney’s success, as, alongside Kendric Davis have run the show throughout the season. The forward acts as a secondary scorer to Davis and is an athletic freak who can get to the basket and finish with authority. His ability to guard multiple positions and even be a playmaker when needed goes further than the stat line, which is why he is seen in the MVP race so often. His best game of the season came against the Adelaide 36ers, where he had a masterclass performance on both sides of the ball with 27 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.

10. Zylan Cheatham – Adelaide 36ers
At just six-foot-eight, Cheatham is the league leader in both rebounds and double-doubles, averaging 11.7 points, 4.1 assists and 10.2 rebounds. He has shown how valuable of a piece he can be on a contending team, and his versatility has been rewarded as he sees himself recognised as one of the top MVP contenders. He and Cotton have given the Sixers a major boost this reason, and have helped Adelaide secure a top-two spot heading into the finals.

11.John Brown III – SEM Phoenix
John Brown III is one of the most impactful players in the league, and while his stat line might not show that he is one of the best in the league, you need to see it to believe it. The obvious favourite for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, his defensive impact has been a major influence on the SEM Phoenix’s success this season.

The league leader in steals per game, his pressure on the ball is too much for the ball handlers, as he is so persistent that a stop is almost inevitable whenever he is defending whoever has the ball. His defensive impact has been recognised from his college days, the Euroleague and now the NBL, as he continues his defensive dominance at a worldwide scale.

While the two frontrunners, Kendric Davis and Bryce Cotton are battling it out, it currently looks as if Davis will take the trophy home, but with such a talented league, these eleven contenders are deserving of their recognition as some of the best players of NBL26.